Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with your likeness. David therefore expected to live after death, — he should awake, and awake in God's likeness. I. AT DEATH THE SOUL OF THE BELIEVER THUS AWAKES. The remains of sin are done away, and nothing left but the image of God. II. OUR PRESENT STATE IS A KIND OF NIGHT SCENE. As dreams, and like the vagaries of sleep. Only that is solid and valuable which has been connected with God. How short are waking intervals. Natural men are entirely asleep, but Christians cannot sleep, "as do others." Yet they are often drowsy and insensible. Hence Paul says, "It is high time to wake out of sleep." And at death they will wake out of sleep. III. THE BODY LIKEWISE SHALL AWAKE. For the body is an essential part of human nature. But it is lying under the incapacities and dishonours of mortality. Therefore the intermediate state is necessarily an imperfect one. But the purchase of the Saviour will be reclaimed. "We wait for the Saviour, who shall change our vile body that," etc. (William Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. |
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